Month: April 2017

The King is Coming!

Let every turntable proclaim: Jesus is coming again!

Above is a skratch track I put together in 2006.

At 16, I started to DJ and learn to mix.  When God stepped into my life and saved me, I was still a club DJ in Gainesville, FL . This track is a funny moment in my journey.

As a young believer, I came across a “End-times” prophecy CD set from a recent conference. I took the CD’s and found cool little snippets from preachers. I also grabbed a funny clip from a Pat Roberson CD that somebody gave me. I still had a CD turntable and a skratch mixer, so I had some fun with the sounds.

The Cure for Being Judgmental

Finger-Pointing

Have you ever just felt “judgy”?

I’ll never forget a young women, her freckled face beaming from ear to ear, coming up to me after a message. She said: “Pastor AJ, I loved the message. God has been convicting me and showing me stuff. He’s helping me because I’ve been feeling SO “judgy” lately!” 

Her heart for God made me smile along with her. I had never heard that expression before: “judgy”, but I could totally relate to what she was talking about.

Have you ever felt like this young women— all “judgy”? Have you ever found yourself just being critical of everything and everyone? (Sometimes I call it being “Mr. Crabby-pants”) Or maybe it’s a particular person that just bugs you and you don’t know why.

What I have found is that being critical has a lot more to do with me than it does with the person I am judging. To be consistently uncomfortable with people often is a sign that I am uncomfortable with myself. In fact, show me a critical person, and I’ll show you an insecure person. I’m convinced the more insecure you are—the more uneasy you feel about yourself—the more harsh and judgmental you are towards others.

So what’s the antiode for being judgemental?

A personal revelation of your love and acceptance in Christ will drive out all that icky insecurity!

When you really start to know—to have a personal knowledge of— God’s love and acceptance of you, you become a more secure person. That’s just the nature of love. It brings security. It brings a healthy and balanced sense of self. His acceptance brings peace to the soul—a sense of safety for our weary hearts. Like a massive anchor of self-worth, God’s loving affirmation becomes the foundation for our identity.

 

Say this out loud:

I am loved.

I am accepted.

I am not perfect.

I am something better: I’m wanted by God.

 

The more you understand and confess His Word, the more you allow God’s love and acceptance to seep down into your soul. And the less “judgy” you will be.

You are loved, child of God!

To believe these things makes you able to live in your own skin. To be yourself. To be. And to let others be. If God is okay with you, then you can be okay with yourself. And you can be a little easier on others.

You are accepted. What is the use in pulling others down? You are affirmed. Why is there any need to prove yourself?

Critical people carry turmoil within. This inner turmoil simply spills out onto others. That’s what criticism is: an overflow. An overflow of judgement. An overflow of shame. An overflow of fear. An overflow of self-hatred and negativity.

But God’s love quiets the storm and allows for mercy to be given and received. Through Christ’s indescribable gift, the Father welcomes and accepts you! In his great love, He gives you freedom and the room to grow. He gives you a chance! So now, you can give others a chance.

Embrace the call today! Be loved by God, dear reader. Get a revelation of your son-ship in Him. Ask, and He will show you. Accept his acceptance of you, and let God be the Judge. He’s better at it anyways.

You’ll start to be more comfortable with yourself, and a lot more comfortable with others!

 

There’s Grace to Build

Construction_in_Toronto_May_2012

One thing I know: God gives grace to build!

God is the giver of wisdom. He empowers us to win. He makes us to overcome.

There’s grace to be Loved!

There’s grace to build a marriage!

There’s grace to build a family!

There’s grace to shed shame and embarrassment!

There’s grace to overcome trauma!

There’s grace to rebuild a soul!

There’s grace to start over!

There’s grace to change!

There’s grace to forgive!

There’s grace to build business!

There’s grace to succeed!

There’s grace to win!

There’s grace to seize opportunity!

There’s grace to overcome a poverty menailty!

There’s grace to live like a son!

There’s grace to live noble and wise!

There’s grace to build a life of influence!

There’s grace to love God and love people!

May God, who alone is wise, shower you with grace today.

– AJ